


Intoxication

by 1848pianist



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Drinking & Talking, Erik You WIll Be Drunk, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Short & Sweet, Smitten Erik, Tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-20 09:30:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14892047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1848pianist/pseuds/1848pianist
Summary: Erik goes to a party. He is not planning to get drunk. He is, however, hoping to run into Charles Xavier. Some things do not go as planned.





	Intoxication

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate title: sometimes you just gotta take a break from Serious Fics and write a cheesy, trope-y college AU as a graduation gift to yourself.

There are a whole number of reasons why Erik doesn’t care for college parties, but two stand out at the top of the list. One, he doesn’t like getting drunk. Or rather, he doesn’t like getting drunk around other people, especially people he doesn’t know. The opportunities for getting into trouble, or at the very least embarrassing one’s self, are simply too high.

Two, it is incredibly boring to be around drunk people while sober.

For these reasons, Erik is usually long gone by this point in the night. Even Kitty, who invited him here and generally remains coherent is currently on the far side of tipsy.

She nearly collides with him coming around the corner from the kitchen –to be fair to her, it is dark – and spills at least half of her drink on herself. She sighs, but otherwise appears unconcerned.

“Hey Erik. I wondered where you’d gone.”

“Just walking around.”

“Do you normally come to parties to do laps?”

“I don’t normally come to parties,” Erik reminds her. “And I did have a beer.”

Kitty grins wickedly. “Found your telepath yet?”

“He’s not my telepath,” Erik grumbles. “We had one class together. One.”

“And you only complained about him for the first half of the semester, instead of for the whole year. So you’re practically destined to be together.” Kitty takes a long sip of what’s left of her drink.

Erik glares at her. “I don’t complain about you—”

“…much.”

“—and we’re definitely not together.”

“Thank goodness for that,” Kitty says, looking somewhere over Erik’s shoulder. Erik turns and sees Kitty’s probable soon-to-be-girlfriend, Illyana, coming down the stairs. “Hope you find him.”

“I’m not looking for him!” Erik insists as Kitty walks away. He turns, intending to head for the door, and runs straight into Charles Xavier.

“Who are you not looking for?” Charles smiles, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Are we avoiding someone?”

If Erik hadn’t made it clear on no uncertain terms last semester – mostly for the sake of his pride – that Charles was not to go poking around his thoughts, he would think Charles was teasing him. Then again, just Erik’s surface thoughts, things Charles can pick up without effort, might be enough to give him away. Charles’ eyes are bright and his cheeks are slightly flushed from drinking, which is enough to make Erik feel dizzy with or without the influence of alcohol.

“I’m not. Avoiding. I’m just not looking for…someone.” Which is technically true, now that Charles is standing in front of him.

“I see.”

Before Erik can think of something to say, someone else coming out of the kitchen stumbles into Charles, knocking his drink to the floor and shoving him practically into Erik’s arms.

“Oh dear. I suppose my reflexes aren’t what they were at the beginning of the night.”

“At least you’re still speaking complete sentences,” Erik says. “Anyway, this seems like a popular place to spill drinks.”

“So it appears,” Charles says as he steps back straight into the sticky patch left by Kitty’s drink. “I think I saw a couple of unclaimed seats on the patio, if you don’t mind the cold. I’ll refill this and meet you there?”

Erik couldn’t be so lucky. “Okay.”

“Excellent,” Charles says, grinning.

It is chilly outside, but Erik hardly has time to dwell on it before Charles returns, carefully balancing no less than four shots.

“What’s this?” Erik asks.

“Um…Smirnoff, I think? It was a bit dark in there.”

“That’s a lot of vodka.”

Charles looks up at him and grins. “Well, I wasn’t planning on drinking all of it myself.”

“Oh.”

“You looked like you needed something to lighten you up. Unless you don’t drink?”

“No, I—I drink.”

“Good. To…senior year, then.”

Erik follows his cue and swallows the shot. It’s revolting. On the other hand, he immediately doesn’t mind that it’s kind of cold outside. In fact, in a few moments he almost feels warm.

“Disgusting, isn’t it? Unfortunately it’s the only thing left by this time of night.”

“I suppose you get used to it.”

“That’s the spirit,” Charles says grinning. “Anyway, how’s your last semester? I’ve hardly seen you since last year.”

 “It’s fine, I guess. Better once it’s over.”

“Counting the days until graduation?”

“Aren’t you?”

Charles shrugs. “There are reasons to enjoy university.”

“Such as?”

“When else in your life can you get drunk with a friend on a Wednesday night and have no responsibilities the next day?”

Erik tries not to make it obvious that he’s smiling. “I’ll drink to that.”

The taste is no better this time, but he’s slightly more prepared for it. And he _does_ feel more less tense, although whether he’ll ever be able to relax completely around Charles is another question entirely.

At least he doesn’t have to think of much to say. Once they start talking about college, all Erik has to do is ask Charles about his senior research project to get him on a roll. Erik is content to listen. He’s no scientist, but it’s interesting enough, especially with the benefits of alcohol and Charles’ lovely voice.

“Oh no, it’s nearly three in the morning,” Charles says suddenly, breaking into Erik’s trance. “Look at you, I’ve nearly talked you to death.”

“It’s not you,” Erik says, although he could happily put his head on the table and sleep there at this point. “’m just tired.”

“I can see that. No doubt it’s been a while since you’ve eaten, too. Here, I’ll walk you home. Where do you live?”

Erik groans. “East Commons.” A thirty-minute walk away, at least, and the bus doesn’t run this late.

“That’s no good. Why don’t you stay here?”

“Here?” Erik looks up.

“Yes. You didn’t know I live here?”

“I was looking for you at your own party without realizing it?”

Charles smiles. “So you _were_ looking for me.”

Erik is too tired to come up with a good answer for that. “Yes. All right.”

“I’ll be very smug about this when you’re awake enough to appreciate it. In the meantime we should go inside, at least.”

Before Erik knows it, he’s not only indoors but in Charles’ bedroom.

“This isn’t how I imagined this going,” he mumbles.

“You and me both.” Charles nudges him to the right. “Bed is that way.”

Erik waves him off. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Don’t be silly. You won’t get an hour of sleep on that thing, even as exhausted as you are.”

“Neither will you,” Erik points out.

“I don’t have classes on Thursdays, remember? It won’t matter.”

Erik’s head feels like it’s stuffed with cotton, but he isn’t about to let Charles sleep on a couch in his own house. “Still.”

“Still, nothing. You’re sleeping on the bed.”

Erik squints at the bed in question. “It’s big enough for both of us.”

Charles laughs. “I’d prefer to stay well out of vomiting range, no offense.”

“I’m tired-drunk, not sick-drunk,” Erik says. “I only had three drinks. Besides, in two minutes I won’t even notice you’re there.”

“That’s not usually the argument people use to get me to sleep with them.” Charles smirks. “But all right. If you’re sure you’re fine with it.”

“I’m fine with it.”

“I’m only agreeing because you look like you’re about to fall asleep standing up,” Charles says. “Now go to bed.”

Though he would never admit it, Erik is all too happy to comply. He almost sighs with relief the second his head hits the pillow.

Charles lies down next to him a moment later. He tries to give Erik some space, but the bed isn’t so large that they can avoid touching entirely. Erik just wishes he were awake enough to appreciate it better. Actually, if it didn’t require energy, he would consider turning to face Charles. Possibly even kissing him.

Charles pokes him in the ribs. “Stop projecting and sleep.”

Erik grins into the pillow. “Sorry.”

“Shh.”

Just before he falls asleep, Charles whispers in his ear, “If you _don’t_ throw up on me, I just might make you breakfast in the morning.”


End file.
